Smartphone power ‘will bring an end to keys, TV remotes and cash’

Smartphones are becoming more powerful all the time – and this could even lead to the demise of a range of other household items.

This is according to futurist Dr Ian Pearson, who said that keys, TV remotes and cash are just some of the items that are likely to become redundant.

Pocket mirrors, torches, travel tickets and driving licences were some of the other things he singled out – and this does not seem like too much of a stretch of the imagination, given that smartphones are already used in place of them by many people.

Dr Pearson has been advising telecommunications provider TalkTalk Mobile on his predictions for the future – and his expertise is held in high regard, given that he anticipated the rise of text messaging.

He explained that near field communication (NFC) technology – which is already used to power contactless card payments – is particularly progressive, as it can be used for many smartphone functions that may prove invaluable in the future.

"The days of digging through handbags and cursing after locking our keys inside the car will be fading by 2025," he commented, adding: "NFC technology will enable us to lose those elusive keys for good. With a tap of the phone, doors will open wide, with fingerprint recognition keeping our virtual keys safe."

This is not quite as radical as the recent predictions of 86-year-old inventor and engineer Martin Cooper, who is often referred to as the father of the modern mobile phone.

Mr Cooper said that embedded technology is likely to replace smartphones, with people having equivalent devices directly in their ear, rather than having to carry a mobile around.